Pictures of You
by yumi-maki
Summary: A collection of short Naruto one-shots about any of the main characters, anywhere, anytime, anyplace. Most written for the LJ community, 31 days. Ch. 29 Naruto asks Sakura a question, she tries not to throttle him, things don't really go as planned.
1. Yosh!

**Pictures of You**

**Yosh!**

**March 3rd - "your heaving chest"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

A resounding cry of "Yosh!" roused Tenten from her slumber. She opened her eyes slowly and instantly noticed a fast moving green blur in her peripheral vision.

She reached up and rubbed them and the green blurs slowly sharpened into straight lines and bright colours. Then they became solids - black bowl haircut, black bushy eyebrows and green spandex. Lee and Gai were running laps around the clearing.

Tenten sat up and stretched to throw off her drowsiness, feeling a little frustrated with herself for falling asleep. It was especially hot today and she assumed that it was the heat that had caused her to doze off but really that was no excuse.

Frowning, Tenten rose to her feet and focused her gaze on her sensei and his favourite student.

"Very good, Lee. Only twenty more laps to go!" Gai yelled (despite the fact that Lee was no more than two feet away from him).

"Hai, Gai-sensei. After this, we should do two hundred push-ups to cool down," Lee responded, easily matching both Gai's volume and exuberance.

"Only two hundred, Lee? That's not very youthful," his beloved tutor said, faltering a little as disappointment took hold of him.

Lee's already large eyes widened in realization, "You're right, Gai-sensei. We'll do four hundred push-ups instead - one handed ones!"

"That's more like it - feel the flame of youth burning within you! Now let's go faster, Lee!" Gai shouted, putting on a burst of speed.

Lee sped up as well and the two continued around the track created by their daily work-out, occasionally shouting words of encouragement to each other.

Tenten watched this exchange with a small, bemused smile on her face. She could still remember how worried she used to be in the early days of Team Gai when she was just learning of Gai-sensei's rigorous training methods. She was so afraid that he would just collapse of exhaustion one day - how could he not when he constantly pushed his body to unheard of limits?

Soon though, she realized that Gai (and Lee-kun too, apparently) weren't built like regular people or even regular ninja and their levels of stamina were higher than she could fathom, let alone muster so she put her worries to rest and simply learned to tune the two out when they worked themselves into a frenzy similar to the one that they were now experiencing.

Still smiling, Tenten turned away from the duo and headed into the forest, intending to find their other teammate and challenge him to a long overdue spar.

**A/N: So my friend suggested I stop spamming w/ all these short stories and just make a collection so here it is - my 31 days collection. I can't promise updates every day - just whenever I write something. Feel free to drop me a line.**


	2. Someone Like You

**Someone Like You**

**March 6th - 'You are everything I--'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"What is wrong with you?!" Temari shouted, grabbing a pillow and attempting to beat Shikamaru over the head with it, "Why would you do that?"

"What are you talking about? I thought you'd be happy," he said, stepping backwards until he was out of her reach, all the while regarding her with a look that he had - and would - bestow on her often - a mix of fear, confusion and apprehension.

"Do I _look_ happy to you?" she rejoined, grabbing the nearest object - a clock - and pelting it at him, "You just ruined everything!" Her words drowned out the sound of the clock shattering behind him.

"What? How?" He inquired, ducking the barrage of items that she was throwing at his head. He sighed inwardly - she was really making him expend a lot of energy here.

"You just did, okay?" she replied, then paused, a vase of purple flowers in her hand, thinking, "Take it back," she said suddenly, "If you take it back right now, we can just pretend it never happened."

Shikamaru stopped ducking and straightened up, then stepped forward resolutely, his expression an odd mix of annoyance and determination, "No. I don't want to forget about it. I meant what I said, Temari - I love you."

Her shoulders slumped and she put the vase back on the table in front of her, "But - why?" she asked, forest green eyes narrowing, "How could you possibly have fallen in love with me?"

He shrugged, his face beginning to regain its usual disinterested expression, "I don't know. You're actually the opposite of what I wanted in a woman."

She rolled her eyes, "Same here. I never thought I'd be interested in someone like you," she declared, chuckling softly.

Shikamaru didn't respond this time, just kept his eyes glued to hers. Knowing that it was time to respond, Temari sighed and stepped forward, then wrapped her arms around his neck, "Now listen closely, crybaby, because I'm only going to say this once."

He didn't even bother to feign indifference this time, his eyes reflecting his tentative, fragile hope. Temari moved closer until her lips were right by his ear, "You are a complete and total baka."

Irritation in every line of his face, Shikamaru made to move away but Temari tightened her hold on him, "Let me finish," she said, catching his eyes. "But...I like you anyway."

He looked down for a moment to hide his disappointment, then looked back at her and nodded. She smiled half-heartedly, sympathy in her own eyes, "That's the best I can give you now, okay?" Then she shook her head, sighing, "Now you see why I wanted you to take it back?"

He looked away and she released him, then started to move through the room, picking up the items that she'd assaulted him with. He stood still as she slipped away, replaying what she'd said, feeling the sting of her words.

It was her voice that roused him, "Hey Nara! Get your butt over here - I'm not cleaning all this up by myself."

He opened his eyes - when had he closed them? - then turned to her and his disappointment faded as he took her in, frowning at him a few feet away. '_At least she said anything at all,'_ he thought and surprisingly, the thought was enough to console him.

"You should," he said as he bent over to pick up the clock at his feet, "you created this mess." '_Or did I?' _he wondered as he passed by her, brushing against her ever so slightly. He didn't know but one thing became apparent to him as they proceeded to right the disheveled living room - their relationship would never be the same.

**A/N: Too much Grey's Anatomy, perhaps.**


	3. Walk in the Night

**Walk in the Night**

**March 8th - 'alone in a crowd at night'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

The only sound he hears as he steps onto the bridge is the crunch of snow under his feet. His eyes sweep over the area - it is deserted, just as he expected. Stuffing his hands into his coat pockets, he walks forward, slow footsteps disturbing the peace, then drops down into one of the many sets of chairs, not even bothering to brush off the snow that has collected on it.

Naruto leans back against the hard, cold, metal backing and turns his face upward, focusing on the reddish haze that is the night sky. It has begun to snow and he allows the cold flakes to light onto his face, mostly because he hasn't noticed them. Finally he breathes in - deeply, then closes his eyes as the loneliness sets in.

Tonight is one of those nights - when the loneliness becomes too much to bear. Perhaps it's strange - that he responds by isolating himself but he knows that sometimes the best way to fight loneliness is to embrace it and just let it take its course.

Funny, how suddenly it happens, how one little thing can cause him to pause. Tonight, it is laughter. He is walking home (to his empty apartment) when he hears laughter, loud and piercing and joyous. He pauses in mid-step and turns - a few feet away is a group of friends, just a little older than he is, standing outside of a cinema, conversing about something.

He honestly doesn't know why it affects him so much - it's not like he doesn't have friends, it's not like there aren't people who care about him but for some reason, the sight of them hits something deep in his heart. Frowning, he turns around and starts off in the opposite direction, headed for somewhere far from the lights and sounds of the city, away from the happy families and laughing friends.

"I thought I'd find you here." A sharp, clear voice shatters the silence.

Naruto's eyes snap open but he doesn't move otherwise, not even when Sasuke brushes the snow off the seat next to his and drops down on to it. Sasuke slips his (freezing) glove-less hands into his jacket pockets, then sits back and settles into a position almost identical to Naruto's. He says nothing more for fear of further disrupting the tranquility that seems to pervade this space. Next to him, a faint smile appears on the blonde's face because (and perhaps he's a bastard for thinking it) it's always good to know that you're not the only one who's lonely.

**A/N: So I know I'm a bit early with this one. The idea just came to me this morning and I wanted to write it before it left my head. I'm not sure if this one makes complete sense...any comments are welcome.**


	4. Before the Rain

**Before the Rain**

**March 9th - 'Beyond your reach'**

**Dissclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Tenten moves through the forest slowly, picking her way over roots and fallen branches, headed to a specific spot.

Uncharacteristically, she is wearing black today but her outfit still allows her the grace and freedom of movement she needs.

The forest is quiet today, the sky overcast but she does not worry - she knows that there will be sunlight where she is going. There is always a patch of sunlight in that clearing by day, a patch of moonlight at night.

She cannot describe her feelings as she makes this journey - she never can, she never will. So she just feels and tries her best not to think.

She sees it ahead. Tenten quickens her pace a little, takes a few more steps, moves a low branch aside and steps into the clearing, their clearing.

She is right - there is a ray of sunlight breaking through the trees and falling right in the middle of the clearing.

She walks into the space, glances at the light, then goes to sit on a large, protruding rock. She focuses her attention on the sunlight, breathes in and waits.

It is not long before she feels his presence but she does not move or open her eyes. In fact, she stills completely, listening to the sound of the wind traveling through the trees overhead and the bird song which seems to now fill the forest.

"Hello Neji," she says quietly as a breeze passes and picks up a stray lock of her hair. The bird song grows louder, filling the space, filling her mind.

Finally she opens her eyes and notices immediately that the light has diminished, the cloud cover has become more defined. She steps off of the rock and moves forward a little, then stretches, her eyes following the ray of light up, up, upward through the leaves, to the sky.

She breathes deeply again, smiling as the air around her thickens. She comes here every day because this is where she feels closest to him, not at the memorial stone, not at his grave but here, amidst the light and the dark and the birdsong, at this place where so much of their time was spent.

As the first drop of rain falls, right into her hair, a stray tear runs down her cheek because even here, as close as he seems, Neji is still beyond her reach.

**A/N: Tenten's birthday present from me. Inspired by Dido's Isobel. Caused by way too much Grey's Anatomy.**


	5. Candy

**Cherry**

**March 10th - '**_**strangers and candies'**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

A cherry blossom amidst cherry blossoms. Sakura sat against the trunk of an enormous sakura tree, surrounded by its fallen petals.

She'd been sitting there for quite some time, hiding from the neighbourhood kids. Her tears had already stopped but the tear stains were still visible on her rosy cheeks.

She looked up as one of the cherry blossoms fell at her sandal-ed feet. She sighed - why couldn't she be a real cherry blossom? They were so beautiful, even if they didn't last very long.

She was alerted then by the sound of footsteps approaching her. She looked up just as a long shadow fell over her. A man was standing in front of her but she couldn't tell who he was because his head was directly in front of the sun, causing his face to be covered in shadow.

She squinted and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun above his head but it didn't help - she couldn't see his face. Sakura kept silent, waiting for him to speak so that she could figure out who he was.

"Why are you crying?" His voice was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, quiet and soothing.

Sakura's eyes widened a little and she looked down quickly to hide her face. "I'm not."

The stranger chuckled lightly, "That's true - you're not. But you were before. Why? Did something happen?"

Sakura looked up again at the man. Her mother had told her countless times not to talk to strangers and usually she obeyed but this man's voice was so nice and reassuring that she couldn't help but trust him. "The other kids were making fun of me," she replied, unable to stop her voice from trembling.

He tilted his head a little and she could see now that his hair was blonde, a bright, golden colour to be exact, "About what?"

She gave a little sniff when replying but she made sure to keep her voice steady this time, "My forehead. They said it's bigger than Hokage mountain."

She had expected him to laugh but he didn't. All he said was, "Do you agree with them?"

"I - I don't know," she answered quietly.

He nodded, remained silent for a few minutes, then said, "Well, I don't think so. I don't think your forehead's big at all."

Sakura looked up sharply, suspicion marring her features, "Do you really think so or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

The man smiled - Sakura couldn't see it but she could hear it in his voice, "I'm not just saying anything. I mean it when I say that I think you're prettier than all of these cherry blossoms put together."

Sakura's eyes widened - someone thought she was as pretty as cherry blossoms! No, prettier! She smiled shyly and opened her mouth to thank him but just then, another cherry blossom fell from the tree, passing across his face.

She grabbed it before it fell into her lap. To her immense surprise, a small, red sweet fell out of it. Sakura picked up the sweet and turned it over several times, eyes wide in astonishment and confusion.

Then she remembered the man and she looked up but by the time she raised her head, he was gone. Sakura looked right and left, she even got up and walked forward a little, looking up and down the street but she didn't see him anywhere.

Shrugging it off as an odd occurrence, Sakura returned to her seat under the tree, unwrapped the sweet and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm...cherry," she said, smiling, "my favourite!"

**A/N: In case you didn't realize, the man was the Yondaime. So I know this one's a little on the fantastical side but it's what I came up with. Thanks for reading and thanks for all the reviews!**


	6. Shiny Bright

**Shiny Bright**

**March 16th - '**_**Running late for an appointment with Death'**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

And if you have to go  
Well always know that you shine brighter than anyone does.

I'll wave goodbye  
Watching you shine bright  
I'll wave goodbye tonight

- _Brighter, Paramore_

The day Uzumaki Naruto died, the world got a little bit dimmer.

The noises in the forest ceased.

Clouds covered the sun, shielding it from the village.

That night, the moon and stars were absent.

When it happened, we all felt it - because a piece of our hearts died, at that very moment.

The truth is, none of that stuff really happened.

But it should have, because when Uzumaki Naruto died, our world got a lot darker.

One thing, however was true - the night Uzumaki Naruto died, the moon and stars _were_ absent, save one solitary star that, small as it was, seemed to illuminate the entire night's sky.

**A/N: Title is from ohwhatsherface (Getting Over It). Inspired by Paramore's Brighter.**


	7. Le Petit Mort

**Le Petit Mort**

'_Deep breaths, deep breaths,'_ he thinks, _'I can do this.'_

She giggles and he stops in his tracks - she can _giggle_? Who would have thought?

It is just so unheard of that he starts to laugh and suddenly, all of his worries fly away. Still laughing, he focuses again on movement.

He marvels at her skin and how pale it is, _'too pale,'_ he thinks,_ 'it should be darker, with her being from Suna and all.'_

He notices that her eyes are wandering, looking past his face, past his head, at the roof it seems. Her expression seems to be growing bored. He frowns - _obviously_ he's not doing something right.

But then, her eyes meet his, quickly, suddenly, urgently and he gets the confirmation he needs.

She says something but so focused is he that he misses it completely. He nods though, to reassure her.

Suddenly, another giggle bursts from her but before he can even smile, she sends a glare his way.

"Laugh at me and die."

This time he hears loud and clear.

He doesn't get a chance to respond though because then it happens - a moment of total silence as they rise to the zenith of feeling.

_'This is nice,'_ he thinks but before he can get used to the feeling, they begin to descend slow, slow, quickly. A collective sigh followed by a slow, unhurried kiss.

When Temari moves away, she glimpses the look on his face and says, in a half-panicked, half-joking voice, "You're not going to cry, are you?"

**A/N: So this is an experimental piece. My way of trying to describe that without actually describing the act. It isn't a 31 days fic but I included it here because I thought it was too short to create an entire story around. Inspired by Jay-Z's "I Know."**


	8. Snow Angel

**Snow Angel**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Hinata can still remember the first time she saw snow.

It was the day of her fifth birthday, the twenty-seventh of December. She had been standing in the Hyuuga compound, just a little way away from her family's wing, looking up at the sky.

Her eyes were glued to the grey silver white of the winter sky and to the bare branches of the trees on the edge of their compound that were reaching up, up, upward, trying to meet it. 

She saw it immediately, despite how well it blended in with the sky above - she thanks her own silver white eyes for that.

She watched the whitish-grey speck curiously as it descended so very slowly to the ground, coming to rest right in front of her feet. She smiled but didn't touch it - that rule was already well ingrained in her.

She looked up again and saw, to her delight, more of the whitish grey specks, descending to meet her and her silver white eyes began to glow with astonishment...and excitement. This was definitely the best present ever.

She began to spin, graceful even then, in the midst of the shower of snowflakes, not even minding the cold, wintry air as it hit her pale, effervescent face. She stopped suddenly as her dizziness overcame her and subsequently, fell backwards, arms still spread out. 

She was just about to begin moving them up and down when her father's stern, always demanding voice rang out, "Hinata! What are you doing?"

For the first time, she felt cold. She scrambled up and dusted off her white kimono, then turned towards her father, already bowing, "F-Father, Gomen. I - "

"I don't want to hear it! Just go inside and don't let me see you playing in the snow again," he said, frowning deeply at his eldest daughter.

Hinata nodded and bowed again, rushing into the house. This time though, instead of worrying about her father's displeasure, she ran to her room and then rushed to the window, staring out at the wonderful, new thing - _snow_.

She had loved it ever since that day. 

Even now, as she watched the dazzling white flakes fall and settle on and around her own still figure, Hinata simply smiled and closed her eyes, thinking to herself, '_When I was younger, Father never let me make snow angels. Now I am a snow angel.'_

**A/N: Anyway, I figure this is way too short to create an entire fic for so thisprobably won'tbe solely 31 days fics from now on, okay.**


	9. The Last Stand

**A Beautiful Day For Death**

**March 31st - 'When all else fails, blame someone else.'**

Shikamaru tightened his grip on Temari's hand as he stared out at the sky in front of them. His breathing quickened - he was actually _level_ with clouds. That could not be a good thing.

He turned to her, "Temari..."

"Don't wuss out now, Nara," she said before he could even articulate his protest.

He turned his head back to the wide, wide, _wide _expanse in front of them, "You know Temari, I think in this situation, it would be okay to do so." He let out a sigh, "I don't even know how you talked me into this."

Temari raised an eyebrow, "How _I_ talked you into this? You're the one who suggested we do something spontaneous."

Shikamaru nodded, "Yes, spontaneous and _safe_. This is _most definitely_ not safe."

Temari shrugged, fearless as always, "Well, you said I could choose."

Shikamaru nodded, "Well, I acknowledge my mistake. I won't be doing that in the future, if I have a future," he added, looking down apprehensively at the steep drop that he had to look forward to.

Temari laughed, (Laughed! Really - the woman was laughing!) "Relax, Shikamaru," she said, grabbing his other hand and taking a step forward, "we're going to be fine. And if we're not, well today's a beautiful day for death!" she added as she bent her knees and prepared to jump off of the cliff.

Sighing in defeat, Shikamaru closed his eyes and bent his knees as well, waiting for her to speak.

"Jump!"

As they hurtled rapidly towards the rushing water of the river, Shikamaru couldn't help thinking that for her, he'd take any plunge.

Of course, when the ropes stopped them from crashing headfirst into the water and they dangled in mid-air, bobbing up and down as they waited for someone to pull them up, Temari laughing like a banshee and he focusing on keeping his eyes shut tightly and breathing steady, Shikamaru made sure not to let the realization slip.

**A/N: All I know about bungee jumping comes from tv. If there are discrepancies, again I beg forgiveness. I saw this pic on deviantART just now and it totally inspired this. It's called The Last Stand by ATAPLATA. Pure awesomeness.**


	10. Perfect

**Perfect**

**April 1st - 'the smell of spring'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Kurenai sat on a snow white bench in the park, enjoying the very first day of spring.

Smiling fondly, she leaned back against the bench and raised her head to the sky. It was a perfect spring day - blue sky, green grass, fresh air. Only one thing was missing.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in her peripheral vision, then someone sat down next to her. She didn't need to look around to see who it was - the strong scent of cigarette smoke gave him away.

She turned her head slightly - Asuma was looking at the sky as well, trademark cigarette in his mouth, wry smile on his lips. She turned back to the clouds and moved a little closer, shortening the distance between them, a small smile making its way onto her own lips.

Somehow she didn't even mind the fact that she could no longer smell the fresh air.

Now it really was a perfect day.

**A/N: I was going to write a Tsunade/Naruto April Fools' thing but I saw a picture on dA (conviction that the best is... by SLPdomain) that changed my mind.**


	11. A Rainy Day

**A Rainy Day**

**April 2nd - 'Clay feet'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Naruto sat on a bench, just outside of the orphanage, swinging his legs and watching the pretty drops of water fall from the sky.

He really liked rain. The lady at the orphanage (meanie) hadn't explained to him how it happened, even though he'd asked her a gazillion times, so he'd come up with his own explanation - there must be a big faucet up in heaven which someone opens from time to time and just lets run. It seemed like a good idea to him.

He'd gotten in a fight earlier and had been sent outside as punishment - he was supposed to sit on the bench and not play and not have any fun for exactly a half hour. Pouting, he plopped himself down on the bench, intending to sulk the half hour away but then it began to rain and ironically, his day brightened up.

He watched, mesmerized as more and more drops fell and added to the rising amount of water on the ground. He held on tight to the bench and leaned forward, stilling his feet long enough to determine how close they were to the water. He then began swinging them once again as he wondered how long it would take the water to reach his feet. Would it reach them by the time he had to go inside? He frowned, unable to recall having ever seen water that high.

He looked over at the playground across from the orphanage and saw that the rain was turning the dirt into thick, sticky mud. His bright blue eyes widened and a small, gleeful smile dawned on his face - he might like rain but he _loved_ mud.

Forgetting all about his punishment, Naruto got up, raced over to the playground and immediately started to jump up and down. Mud began to fly everywhere, spattering the street, the swings, the sidewalk and of course, Naruto himself. He made a game of it - putting as much force as possible into his jumps to see how far the mud would go. After about ten minutes straight, he began to feel tired and so he let himself fall backward, right into a large patch of mud. Smiling blissfully, he closed his eyes and allowed the rain to wash over him.

When exactly a half hour had passed, the proprietress of the orphanage went to call in Naruto. She let out a startled gasp when she opened the door and came face to face with a little mud monster.

Naruto looked up at her and smiled naively, not at all perturbed by the alarm on her face. She struggled to find the words, then eventually gave up and reached down and lifted the little boy up. Then she took him to the bathroom, holding him as far away from her as possible while inwardly chastising herself for not going to get him as soon as the rain started. She should have known he'd find a way to get into mischief.

As she set him down in the bathtub and started to peel off his clothes, she sighed and muttered to herself, "Oh Naruto, what am I going to do with you?"

**A/N: I didn't really know what to do with this prompt but then it started to rain. I love writing about little!Naruto - it's a lot of fun. Also I know it's a bit jerky - you'll forgive me that, won't you?**


	12. Quiet Things

**The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Her hair was red. A deep, rich auburn that reminded him, every time he laid eyes on it, of the colour of the leaves in the home he'd left behind.

He'd thought, at first, that the colour didn't suit her, that with her responsible, sedate air, her hair should have been a much darker hue, perhaps midnight black like his but over the years, as he learned more about her, he found that the fiery pigment was just perfect for the short-tempered young woman.

She was the friend of a friend (although in this case, friend would have to be applied very loosely, colleague might be more accurate) and as such, they spent quite a lot of time together and after awhile, he came to know her quite well.

She was attracted to him. That much was clear from day one, although it took him quite some time to figure out why. He had never understood what women saw in him - sure, he was powerful and attractive but he was also aloof and domineering and he had never showed anything but disinterest, at times even disdain for the opposite sex.

Well whatever the reason, her feelings were directed at him and she made absolutely no secret of it (in private, that is). The feeling, unfortunately for her, was not mutual and he had treated her with the same indifference that he showed everyone else, expecting that she would eventually give up and move on as the others had.

She did not and eventually he had to give her an outright, verbal rejection. It pained him to do it but if she refused to take the hint and give up, well, he would just have to make her.

As Sasuke watched the red curtain come down and hide Karin's devastated face from view, he found himself wishing again that her hair was a different shade. _'Perhaps,' _he mused,_ 'if it had been pink, things would have turned out differently.'_

**A/N: **Hey. I'm sorry that I haven't written anything new in awhile - here's a short, little something. A SasuSaku disguised as a SasuKarin. The setting is supposed to be the twenties but you can't really tell from this piece. Btw, I edited Le Petit Mort.


	13. My Heart

**The Heart Brings You Back**

**April 12th - 'battle of attrition'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Sakura! Sakura!" she cries out, reaching for the other girl. She can't see so she's reaching towards the warmth that she feels, that she needs. She's much too weak to sense chakra. "Sakura," she whimpers, "I'm cold. Don't leave, please, please don't leave."

Sakura grabs Ino's hand but does not, cannot move any closer - she has others to tend to. "I'm here, Ino, I'm right here," she whispers, kneeling close to her cot. She holds onto Ino's frozen hand until the blonde's fitful thrashing stops. Then, when she's sure that she's calm, Sakura releases her hand and starts to walk away.

"Sakura!" The cry has increased in volume, in pitch, in intensity. "Sakura, don't go!"

Sakura halts by the door, freezing in mid-step as that voice rips through her. This is Ino, her on-and-off best friend, the one who's always wanted and tried to be there for her, _her _Ino. She can't just leave her here - wounded and alone.

Ino calls out to her again and it pulls sharply at her heartstrings - all she's doing is asking her to stay, just for a little while. Sakura sighs and looks helplessly at the door - but...the others...

"Sakura?" This is the definitive moment. Ino's call is soft and questioning and desperate. This one penetrates even deeper than any of the shrieks did.

Sakura, whose heart has always been too soft, too merciful, too kind, turns and rushes to Ino's side. She lifts her head and places it gently into her lap, then grasps her even colder hand tighter than before. "Don't worry, I'm here, I'm still here," she murmurs soothingly, smoothing down the other girl's tangled hair.

Ino's eyes flutter open and she manages to catch a glimpse of blinding pink before they close again. "Sakura." She mutters quietly, a fragile smile adorning her face, "I'm not so cold anymore. Thank you," she adds faintly, snuggling closer to the other girl and her desired warmth.

Sakura smiles faintly and continues smoothing out Ino's hair, "That's good, Ino-pig, that's good." Sakura is sure that Ino's smile grows a little when she hears the familiar nickname. She doesn't regret what she's done. _'For now,' _she thinks, _'the others will have to wait.'_

**A/N: Thought up this while I was reading Waiting for Godot today. I've been wanting to write an Ino/Sakura friendship fic for awhile now anyway. I hope you like it!**


	14. Threnody

**A Threnody of Hope**

**April 13th - 'Colourblind'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Note: While this is set before the Sasuke/Itachi fight, there are spoilers in it, regarding Itachi's motives.**

A forest. A tree.

Time - indeterminable.

--

It was raining.

Uchiha Itachi sank gracefully to the forest floor and leaned against a hollow tree trunk, relaxing and allowing his features to form into the closest thing to a smile that he could muster.

He closed his eyes as cool beads of moisture dropped from the leaves above his head onto his face and savoured the feeling as they rolled slowly, quickly down his chiseled, patrician features.

For the first time in quite a long time, he was alone and he intended to enjoy it.

He opened his eyes and slowly perceived the sight before him. The rain had brought with it an opaque fog that permeated the surroundings and blurred everything, causing all the colours to blend into one another.

Itachi leaned back further against the trunk and silently contemplated the soft, light tones and muted colours of the forest. Soon, this would be his world.

An almost soundless sigh escaped his lips.

He was currently preoccupied with the fear that colours would no longer be visible to him. Already they were beginning to appear thin and faded, watered down versions of themselves. For someone so used to sharpness and clarity, nothing could be more terrifying.

He looked up then, his movements quicker, livelier, his eyes brighter, more alert - unless...unless his plan succeeded and he claimed his new light.

He focused again on the dismal scene before him, imagining what it would look like through his new eyes. Everything would be suffused with a brilliant, effervescent light, even the fog would glow - a stunning milky white.

Finally a real smile bloomed on his features - it wouldn't be long now. Soon Sasuke would come looking for him and then - and then he'd never have to worry about going blind again.

**A/N: Thanks for all the support! I'm so pleased that y'all are enjoying this anthology. The mist I described really happens when it rains here and I've always wanted to take a picture of it but haven't been able to so here, I tried to capture it in words. You may not have noticed but I'm working on developping my descriptive ability - how am I doing so far?**


	15. The Worst

**A/N: It may seem like it but this is NOT a romance.**

**It Gets The Worst at Night**

**April 15th - 'Dying by installments'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_"Will you stay,_

_stay until the darkness leaves,_

_stay here with me..."_

_- Irvine, Kelly Clarkson_

Shikamaru walked up the stairs at his usual languid pace, headed to Ino's apartment. He had just come from dinner with his parents and he was going to Ino's to drop off some food his mother had sent for her.

He came to a stop in front of Ino's apartment door and knocked. There was no reply.

Frowning, he gave the wood two more, louder raps and waited. Still nothing.

_'She must have gone out,' _he thought as he plunged his hand into his pocket and took out a small ring of keys. He moved them around until he found the right one and then fitted it into the lock. To think! That spare key she forced him to take actually came in handy.

As soon as Shikamaru stepped into the apartment, he knew something was wrong. Nothing in the room was actually amiss but he could sense that something was off. He also sensed a chakra signal, a familiar one - Ino _was_ there.

"Ino," Shikamaru called out, dropping the bowl onto the coffee table.

Silence.

"Ino?" he called again, going to the kitchen and peeking in. Starting to feel more than a little uneasy, Shikamaru headed towards the bedroom. The chakra signal was stronger there. "Ino, answer me! Are you in there?" He shouted, knocking sharply on the door.

Silence.

Frowning, Shikamaru turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He saw Ino immediately - she was spread out on the floor, her hair loose and unkempt, her face buried in her arms. She was facing away from him and didn't even flinch when the door opened.

Really alarmed now, Shikamaru rushed to her side and lifted her, peering anxiously into her face. Her eyes were open and she was staring straight ahead. "Ino! Ino!" he shouted, shaking her roughly.

Ino's eyes moved upwards slowly to meet his own. At first, the blue orbs were eerily blank, then a flash of something passed across them and she opened her mouth to speak but all that emerged was a strangled noise that sounded like Shikamaru. Then she moved forward and buried her face in his chest, holding onto his shirt tightly.

She started sobbing quietly, the moisture seeping into his shirt. Shikamaru paid it no mind, just wrapped an arm around her and started rubbing her back slowly. "Ino, what is it?"

The sobs grew louder. "Shikamaru...I can't, I can't do this," she responded through a series of heaving sobs, "I can't...if I had known..."

Shikamaru listened closely to her answer, thinking furiously and trying to make sense of it. At first, he was completely at sea but her last words enlightened him.

He sighed inwardly - it had only been six months since she was promoted to Jounin status and already the missions were starting to affect her.

"Ino, you can," he murmured, pulling her closer, "and you will." They had all learned to cope with this life, she would to, he was sure of it. He knew her strength.

"I'm here," he continued, "I'll help you." Then he fell silent - that was all the comfort he could give her.

She didn't respond verbally but the crying slowly started to decrease in intensity until eventually it stopped altogether. When Ino finally stopped, she raised her head, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced quickly at him. "Thanks Shikamaru," she muttered, looking down for a second. "Look - do you - do you mind staying here, just for tonight? I wouldn't ask if - "

"Sure," he interjected, shrugging and smiling sheepishly, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just went home and left you like this anyway."

She nodded her gratitude, then rose slowly, her blonde hair bobbing and blocking different parts of her face, "I'll just," she inhaled quickly, "go and wash my face and I'll be back, okay?" she finished, sniffling softly.

"Sure," Shikamaru replied, rising and going to the door. "I'll be outside," he responded before turning and walking out the door.

**A/N: Hey, look! They're getting longer. The ending on this gave me a lot of trouble. I hope this one wasn't too confusing.**


	16. Cleanse, Heal, Restore

**Cleanse, Heal, Restore**

**April 19th - 'taking time out to forget'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Hinata placed one foot in front of the other until she was at the edge of the cliff. The sound of rushing water filled her ears but she refused to look down - nothing was going to psych her out. It was time for her to stop letting fear get the best of her - she had sworn that she would change and this would be a step in the right direction.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then attempted to clear her mind - she couldn't allow herself to overthink this. Keeping her eyes closed and her breathing steady, she took a few steps backward until she was a short distance from the edge.

She opened her eyes and prepared herself - this was it, no turning back. One. Two. Three. Hinata inhaled sharply and ran forward and when she reached the edge of the cliff, she jumped.

As she fell through the air, her hair rising and whipping around her, images inundated her mind, of times when she had slunk back, hidden and let opportunities pass her by. She smiled as she pulled her legs in and wrapped her arms around them, preparing herself for the end of the drop - she wasn't going to be that girl anymore, this just proved it.

Finally, she hit the water. Her mind went blank and she found herself filled inexplicably with an overwhelming sense of peace. She stayed under as long as she could, trying to savour it and save it within her heart and then, when she couldn't stand it anymore, she kicked her legs furiously to return to the top.

As she broke the surface of the water, cheers filled her ears. She opened her eyes and focused on the faces of her teammates in front of her - Kiba, Kurenai and even Shino were cheering loudly for her.

"Way to go, Hinata!" Kiba shouted, "You finally took the plunge!"

As Hinata took in their proud, jubilant faces, she opened her mouth and let out a long, wild laugh.

So she had.

**A/N: Sometimes I'm early, today I'm late. Gomen! I hope you liked this one, perhaps it'll be inspiring. Btw, if you didn't get it, she jumped off a waterfall.**


	17. Grace

**A Little Bit of Grace**

**April 23rd - 'You walk as though you're going to fly away.'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Note: in this one, our little ninjas are about 19 or so.**

Naruto lay in the shade of a large tree, his back against it, fanning himself with his shirt. He had just finished a grueling training session with Sakura and he was taking a few minutes to rest.

Letting out a soft sigh, he relaxed and leaned his head back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes in the process. He remained still for several minutes, listening to the quiet rustle of the leaves around him and catching his breath.

In the distance, a twig snapped and Naruto's eyes opened, his body instantly becoming tense and alert once again. He raised himself slightly and focused on the thicket of shrubs directly across from him. Sakura paused and looked in that direction as well. Someone was coming toward them.

The sound of rustling grew closer until finally the thicket parted to reveal a familiar blonde-haired woman. Naruto relaxed as soon as he made out Ino's figure. He lay back but didn't close his eyes this time, lazily monitoring the exchange between the two women through half-closed eyes.

He watched as Ino walked over to Sakura and began speaking animatedly to her. _'Although,'_ he thought, _'glide might be more appropriate.' _He'd never before paid much attention to Ino or the way she walked but suddenly something made him sit up and take notice.

He had also never before noticed how animated the other blonde was - she made a myriad of hand gestures during the course of that brief conversation, and she executed all of them with an easy, apparently natural grace.

By the time, she and Sakura had finished speaking, he was sitting up totally, although he did attempt to be discreet. His eyes widened slightly when, instead of leaving as he'd expected, Ino turned and started towards him.

He knew that he should have gotten up or put back on his shirt or averted his eyes or _something _but he couldn't - so mesmerized was he by her smooth, supple movements. It was as though she were floating instead of walking. He frowned - had she always done that?

Ino came to a stop in front of him and put her hands on her hips, looking down at him disapprovingly, "So what - you're too good to talk to me now?"

"I could say the same to you," he retorted quickly, "You came in here and didn't say a word to me." He had to lift his hand to block out the glare of the sun behind her.

She continued frowning but conceded all the same. "Well," she said, "you know you can't be like that when you're Hokage. A Kage's got to be down-to-earth, accessible like Tsunade-sama is."

Naruto waved his hand impatiently, "Maa, maa, Ino. Baa-chan's told me all of this already." He frowned indignantly, "I'm not going to be the youngest Hokage for nothing, you know!"

Ino rolled her eyes, "A Kage shouldn't be arrogant either!" Then she sighed and turned away but not before adding softly, "I'm sure you'll do your best, Naruto."

Her words surprised him and his eyes followed her once again as she walked away but for a different reason this time (although the agility in her steps didn't go unnoticed by him either). It seemed physical grace wasn't the only kind she possessed.

Ino waved to Sakura and started towards the thicket, intending to leave the way she came but she paused when Naruto called out to her. She turned back to him and nodded expectantly, one hand placed elegantly on her hip.

"Thanks," he said, "for the advice."

Ino blinked rapidly, apparently surprised by his gratitude, then she broke out into a radiant smile. "No problem, Naruto. You're gonna need all the help you can get anyway," she muttered playfully as she turned and disappeared out of the clearing.

Naruto rolled his eyes but didn't jump to the bait as he would have readily done years ago. Instead he simply stood up slowly and pulled his shirt over his head, then he turned to his pink-haired counterpart. "Ano, Sakura-chan, you wanna go get some ramen?"

Sakura smiled and nodded affirmatively, "Sure. I'm starving!"

"Great!" Naruto shouted, "It'll be like a date!"

Sakura just sighed and shook her head - some things never change.

**A/N: I almost didn't finish this one but I pressed on. I seem to be writing about Ino a lot, aren't I? Hope I'm not boring you!**


	18. A Hard Day

**A Hard Day's Night**

**April 25th - 'Rest easy, soldier.'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

A lone shinobi ascended the darkened stairwell of an apartment building. At the top, he turned and moved down the hallway until he reached the final door.

Kakashi dug into his pocket and took out his keys, then fitted the right one into the lock and turned it slowly. The apartment door swung open with a loud, anticipated creak and he entered, closing it behind him as quietly as he could.

The silver haired jounin did a quick, instinctual scan of the room, taking in the various degrees of empty darkness and upon detecting no threats, he dropped his pouch to the floor, locked the door and headed over to the couch.

He dropped himself onto the couch and closed his eyes, letting a small sigh escape him as his fatigue finally set in. The mission was over now and he could relax.

...but he couldn't. Tension had built up in his back since he'd left for his mission last Sunday and it didn't appear to be going away anytime soon. Kakashi opened his eye once again and raised himself into a sitting position, a small scowl on his covered face.

This wasn't the first time this had happened to him. It was a problem he'd had on and off since he'd gone on his first solo mission – this inability to relax, to turn his instincts, his alertness off. It wasn't only his problem - most ninjas suffered from it at some point, particularly those who had started taking on missions from very young.

He rose from his seat and went over to the window, stretching as he walked. He stopped in front of the window and pulled the shade open, allowing him a good view of Hokage mountain and the moon high above it. His frown deepened as he noticed that the full moon that he had seen all throughout his trek back to the village was shrouded now by a layer of cloud and its brilliant light diminished.

He stood at the window, looking out, for a long while, contemplating what he could do to pass the time. Finally he decided on starting his mission report. He turned and went about collecting enough paper and a pen and when he had everything he needed, he returned to the couch, sat down and pulled the table before it closer to him.

He hadn't turned on the light, preferring to write by the light of the moon, which although diminished, still proved to be sufficient. He uncapped the pen and bent closer to the paper, poised to write...but nothing came to him.

Kakashi sighed and dropped the pen, throwing himself against the couch frustratedly - he couldn't do this, not right now anyway. He looked up, focusing again on the moon. He sat there, staring at it for a long, long time. _'Maybe,'_ he thought, _'things would be different if I wasn't alone.'_

This thought jolted him from his fixation on the sky and he looked around, taking in the small, shabby apartment. How different would things be if he had someone, if he didn't live alone? Would it make these nights easier, would these nights still occur?

Sighing quietly, he unzipped his jounin vest and took it off, then pulled off his undershirt. It was hot tonight and wearing all these clothes wasn't helping him any. He slid down into a lying position, bunching up his vest and using it as a pillow. His eyes moved to the ceiling but his mind remained on the topic.

It wouldn't be easy doing that - seeing someone. It would require a lot of work. It would mean letting them in, to himself and his life, maybe explaining what he did when he went away, definitely missing them when he was gone and having to explain why he sometimes came back from missions angry and reticent, preferring to stay in his room and hide, instead of venturing out into the world. Even if he dated another ninja, which carried its own nuisances, some of these issues would still come up.

He shifted a little to get more comfortable and closed his eyes once again. And yet, with all that, there were good things too - the thought of not coming home to an empty house, to have someone to cook for him and take care of him and love him. To have _someone_ was a comforting thought. The tension in his back slowly lessened as he thought of a shared life, with co-existence and co-habitation, and finally he drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: I know the ending could have been stronger. I'm sorry it's late - I would have posted it yesterday but I was at a slepover. T'was tres fun.**


	19. Out of the Ashes

**Out of the Ashes of Dreams You Let Die**

**April 29th - 'blood and bone and a little bit of night music'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Note: this one's a bit gory so I don't suggest you read this while eating your lunch.**

Sakura stared down at the stagnant water in the pool. Two days ago, this water had been clear and sparkling, now it was tainted with blood and rotting flesh.

She sighed and took a deep breath, trying to inhale whatever fresh air was left in this place but instead all she got was the stench of death, filling her mind and inundating her senses. Finally she stepped forward, waded into the murky water and set about her task.

Her mission was to go through the battlefield and take note of the dead, both from her side and the enemy's. It was a nightmare - having to return to this place and wade through the fallen, having to look at the lifeless bodies of her comrades and her enemies once again. It was a terrible job but it had to be done and there was no one else to do it.

She moved systematically through the water, swatting impatiently at the mosquitoes buzzing around the naked flesh of her legs. Eventually, she shifted her position altogether so that her bare legs would be fully submerged in the water and no longer exposed to the annoying parasites. Then she saw something reflected in the water - someone was hiding in a tree a few yards from the battlefield.

She turned sharply, already clenching her fists and building up chakra in them, physically and mentally preparing herself for an assault. "You there," she called out, her voice sounding too loud in the silence, "Show yourself!"

The person, who was currently shrouded in shadow, stepped forward, directly into the milky light of the full moon and pulled down the hood covering his face. Sakura's hands fell open, slack at her sides, attack forgotten as her eyes widened in surprise. However she felt none of the jubilation or childish admiration that she would have felt had this happened years before.

She recovered quickly from her shock and she stepped forward in an unspoken challenge, her eyes narrowed into a glare, the vibrant orbs glittering with a barely contained anger, "I was hoping to meet you on the battlefield."

Sasuke blinked, his face expressionless and eyes distant, "Why? You know I left Oto a long time ago."

She frowned and turned her back on him, "I don't know that. I don't know anything about you, Sasuke Uchiha." _'Perhaps I never did.'_ He wasn't a threat. Now he was neither friend nor foe.

Sasuke followed her with his eyes, carefully noting her every move, checking to see if she was still on the offensive. She wasn't. He was lucky, he knew, to have met her. Had it been any other Leaf nin, he would already be engaged in battle.

Sakura returned to her mission but she couldn't concentrate knowing that he was watching her, feeling his eyes boring into her neck. He said nothing futher and the the relentless drone of the mosquitoes grew louder and louder until it became all that Sakura could hear.

Finally she turned back, ready to question, to grill him about his motives but her inquiry died as she turned and nearly walked right into him. She gritted her teeth in frustration, hating herself for letting him sneak up on her like that. Why was it that around him she still seemed so weak?!

She glared at him, eyes bright with fury, "Why are you here, Sasuke? What do you want?!" she asked, desperation seeping into her voice, behind the anger, behind the irritation. Why wouldn't he just go and leave her alone? How dare he show up again after all this time, _now_ when she was _finally_ starting to move on?

He continued staring at her, his dark eyes boring into hers and then, suddenly he pulled his cloak aside. She broke eye contact and looked down, letting out a small gasp when she saw what was in his arms. A baby, a tiny, sleeping infant was cradled in the Uchiha's embrace.

Her face, that angry mask melted instantly and she looked back up at him, confusion in her eyes, "Wha - ?"

"I found him," he answered quickly, "in a village not too far from here. The place had been ransacked and everyone murdered but he - he survived," he continued, looking down at the child. Sakura _swore_ that she saw his face soften then, that some sort of emotion entered his eyes but she couldn't be sure and the next thing she knew, he was speaking again and holding the child out to her. "Here. Take him," he muttered.

Sakura took the baby in her arms, wishing absently that she were cleaner and that she was somewhere else - this was no place for a child, especially one so small and fragile.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke and was surprised to see that he was still watching the child who was now cradled carefully in her arms. Something akin to pain passed across his features and then, haltingly, as though he thought better of it, he reached out and touched the child's cheek softly, a heavy sadness suddenly apparent in his eyes.

All the anger that Sakura had been harbouring towards him disappeared instantly and the feelings she'd had for him, the ones that she'd buried beneath the anger stirred. "Sasuke..." she choked out, her voice stifled by emotion and her eyes burning with the anticipation of tears.

He looked up, caught sight of her face and stepped back, removing his hand quickly. He pulled the hood up over his head once again, then turned and started walking away.

Sakura watched him go helplessly, the desire to call him back pulling at her but she remained silent, knowing that that would only make it worse, that when she replayed this scene in her mind, years and years from now, she would hate herself for doing it.

Sasuke returned to the tree in which she'd caught him and then without giving her another glance, he disappeared leaving only a wisp of smoke and three words behind. Those three ironic words shimmered in the night air, breaking the silence of the night and Sakura's precious, _fragile _peace of mind. "Sakura, thank you."

**A/N: I'm kind of proud of this one, yeah. I like it.**


	20. More Than A Moment

**More Than A Moment**

**May 3rd - 'I love you when I forget about me'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

When Tsunade awoke, the sun had just risen and her apartment was flooded with a lovely, inspiring, amber light.

She took a deep breath and lay still for a minute, savouring the soft comfort of her bed - it was her first night sleeping in it in several days and she didn't know when would be her next chance.

Finally, she rose, left the comfort of her bed and exited the room, padding softly through the apartment to the kitchen, occasionally stepping into pools of warm, rich sunlight whenever she passed an open doorway.

On the kitchen counter, there was a steaming mug of black coffee, courtesy of her lovely assistant, Shizune. She smiled fondly as she lifted the mug to her lips and took a small sip, wrapping her hands around it carefully - she never regretted opening her life to that girl.

Still smiling, Tsunade turned, left the kitchen and crossed the living room to a large pair of glass doors. She pulled them open and stepped out onto the large balcony, taking in the magnificent view of the Village that it afforded her. Hokage Mountain was directly across from her and her smile turned wry as she saw her own face staring back at her.

Her eyes moved downward and she surveyed the few villagers, mainly shopkeepers already moving around, getting ready for the day. It was still fairly early so things were quiet and a tad slow. She waved to the ramen shop owner before returning her gaze to Hokage mountain.

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, basking in the quiet and the sunlight of this still new, still fresh day. _'It will be a good day,' _she thought decisively, _'definitely.'_

Tsunade opened her eyes and turned expectantly, taking another slow sip of coffee. "Shizune."

The brunette appeared in front of her, breathless and slightly panicked, "Tsunade-sama, you must come to your office immediately. It's an emergency!"

Tsunade nodded, "All right. You go on ahead - I'll be right there," she responded, her demeanour changing from relaxed to authoritative instantly.

Shizune nodded and disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

Tsunade sighed and glanced back at the village. "Guess I spoke too soon," she muttered before disappearing herself.

**A/N: If you were wondering about the cup of coffee, well, Tsunade took it with her.**


	21. Phantom

**Phantom**

**May 8th - 'You know that ghost is me'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_In the pain, there is healing..._

_- Broken, Lifehouse_

Long afterwards, years down the line, there were times when Gaara could still feel Shukaku's presence.

The feeling had been more acute when he was younger and still reeling from the shock of Shukaku's extraction but even with the passage of time, it never truly went away.

It would lie dormant for a long time, sometimes days, sometimes months, sometimes even years, then something would trigger a long buried memory and it would flare up, like a restless shadow in the corner of his mind.

It would whisper softly to him, calling to him and echoing that voice that had tormented him for so long, dredging up memory upon memory of cruel things that he had done years before.

Temari and Kankurou told him constantly that it was impossible, that perhaps it was just his imagination but he knew they were wrong - he would never consciously choose to remember those things. He couldn't fault them though - they weren't in a position to understand.

It was frightening at first - this spontaneous re-emergence of the Sand spirit, but over time, Gaara came to accept and even appreciate it because it helped him remember how he used to be and recognize just how far he'd come.

**A/N: I apologize for the length but I've got exams so I don't have too much time to spare.**


	22. Wonder

**Miranda**

**May 11th - 'These are the days of miracle and wonder'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

He looked around curiously - all around him were different shades of the same colour. A pleased smile took over his face - he liked that colour more than most but there wasn't a lot of it inside. Outside though, it was everywhere.

A low, continuous murmur emanated from somewhere high above him. It was his father's voice, he knew, deep and familiar. He was sure that he was talking to the deer. Shikamaru never understood what his father said to them but the deer must like it because he talked to them all the time.

On each side, there were long, pointy things that were as tall as he was. He reached a chubby hand out and touched one - it was rough and the feeling reminded him of the way his father's face felt on early mornings.

Still curious, he wrapped his hand around it and tugged, and his eyes widened as it came right out of the ground - he frowned down at it in puzzlement but didn't have much time to ponder the issue because just then, something caught his attention - a flash of a different colour.

His head whipped around as he searched for the source of the distraction. He saw it almost instantly - an insect was floating just a few inches out of his reach, bearing the colour that had the most precedence inside - his father had told him at some point that it was the colour his mother liked the most.

The insect flew once around his head, then dashed off and he, wanting to take it for his mother to see, followed close behind. He crawled as quickly as he could, stretching out one hand and trying to grab it whenever he got close enough but each time, it managed to get away.

Finally, it stopped and lighted upon something tall and brown. Thinking that now was his chance, Shikamaru crawled forward and reached out to grab the insect but just as he was about to touch it, he felt something smooth slip around him and then he was rising high into the air. Soon his father's face came into view.

"Shikamaru," Shikaku's warm voice washed over him, suddenly much closer than before, "can't I leave you alone for two minutes?" Shikamaru pouted and tried to fight him, making a loud noise of protest - he could still see the insect shining down below.

Shikaku eyed the child anxiously - this sort of behaviour was unusual for him, "Shikamaru, what's wrong?"

He continued struggling and reaching out towards the deer flank where the insect was now perched. Shikaku followed his son's gaze, noticed the insect and scooped it up, holding it up to the no longer wriggling child, "Is this what you wanted?"

He smiled again and took the insect from his father - it was beating about and he closed his hands around it tightly to make sure it didn't get away.

"Not that tight, Shika," Shikaku said, prying his son's hands open just a little, "otherwise you'll kill it. Now come on," he continued, hoisting him up a little higher and turning around, "it's time to go home."

At the word 'home', Shikamaru looked up and nodded decisively, then looked back at his mother's present, eyes shining with excitement - he couldn't wait to see her face!

**A/N: A little mother's day something from me. This is the way Shika felt about his mama before she started nagging him. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it. And about the title - 'Miranda' comes from the latin verb 'miror' which means 'to wonder' - I wanted it to inadvertently tie in with the theme.**


	23. Peacemaker

**Peacemaker**

**May 21st - 'your road to freedom that you build with flesh and bone'**

**Disclaimer: I write for fun, not profit.**

'Freedom is a white road with green grass like love.'

- Martin Carter, The Kind Eagle

Every day is hard.

It is hard to change, to stop hating,

hard to free himself of anger, of hatred,

hard to grow, to improve.

Every day is hard,

but he presses onward,

because he wants to be someone that people can look up to,

because he no longer wants to inspire fear in others,

to see their eyes grow wide when they see him,

to witness how they hunker down, avoid eye contact and do all they can to make themselves as small and inconspicuous as possible whenever he's in their vicinity.

What kind of life is that?

It's no life, which is something he finally understands.

that's why,

no matter how hard it is,

he presses on,

trying, trying to change,

so that one day, he can be free of this perpetual heart-ache

and finally be worthy of love.

**A/N: The subject is Gaara, in case you couldn't tell. Poetry's not really my style, I know but I'm trying.**


	24. Fall

**Fall**

**May 29th - 'Can't you give me nothing but surrender?'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Let go."

"No," he mutters, tightening his grip on her hands.

"Shikamaru," Temari says, calm but growing steadily irritated, "I said, let go."

"No. I'm not going to do that." She sees him glance behind her, "Temari, the drop down there..."

"I don't care about the drop! I just want you to let go of my hand right now!"

"How can you not care about the drop?!" he shouts back, incredulous. "You'll be the one that's going to fall - and I'm not going to let that happen."

Temari breathes in deeply (her last?) to steady herself. "Shikamaru," she begins again, wriggling her fingers in an attempt to dislodge them from his vice-like grip, "if you don't let go of me, you're going to fall too and I won't let _that _happen. So **let go**," she concludes, the command in her voice obvious.

This time, he doesn't respond.

* * *

When Temari wakes up, she is instantly aware of two things:

one - that she is in a bed (and no longer hanging off of a slippery, steep slope)

and two - that someone is holding her hand.

She doesn't even have to look to know who it is but she does anyway and she sees him lying in the bed next to her, looking as battered and broken as she feels. And yet (and still), he manages to twist his mouth into that knowing half-smile and cough out, "I told you I wouldn't let go."

**A/N:** I wanted to write something angsty and this came out. Nevertheless, I like it. I have a thing about falling, particularly off of buildings - it tends to come over in my writing. And I'll let you in on a little secret (I didn't really write this with that theme in mind). Ah, well thank you for the support and thanks for reading.


	25. Clouds

**Clouds**

**Week #16 - Blend**

**Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine.**

"What is _that_?" Temari asked, glaring fiercely at something behind Shikamaru's head.

He followed her gaze, frowned when he realized what she was talking about, then turned back, retort at the ready, "I thought that after all this time you'd be able to recognize clouds, Temari."

She turned her hard gaze on him, eyebrow raised, "Do you really want me to respond to that?"

Her tone said that the clear answer was no.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath before trying again, "So what - you have a problem with clouds now?"

She shook her head, "Not if they're the usual, wispy things I see here but this block of white practically taking over the sky - I can't stand it. I wish it would just rain and get on with it."

Shikamaru almost laughed at the bitterness in her voice - all that resentment stirred up by some clouds? Ridiculous.

Instead he turned and trained his eyes on the sky above them, studying it carefully. Gradually, his eyes narrowed as he noted the way that his beloved clouds had merged, blending together to form this ominous, hulking mass of blinding white above them and effectively hiding the actual sky with all of its varying shades of blue from view.

After a minute of deliberation, he spoke again, intent on voicing his realization, "You know what, Temari?"

She turned to watch him expectantly.

"You're right."

Her grin could be seen from a mile away.

**A/N: That is exactly how the sky looks here. It's been raining a lot lately - Forks' weather, I call it - and the rain makes me want to read Twilight (or should I say Eclipse) which is bad because I've got exams now. That should explain my absence these days. Don't worry - they'll be over soon and I'll be back with a vengeance. Happy reading!**


	26. Life is Perfect

**Perfect**

**Week #17 - perfect**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Life...is perfect," she murmured, keeping her eyes closed tightly and her breathing even and shallow. She was routinely, methodically tuning out all of the noise and all of the distractions so that she could focus solely on the task at hand.

"Life," she started again, breathing in deeply and letting the air flow slowly through her lips, "is perfect," she breathed again, repeating the words over and over like a newly learnt mantra. She thought that they were helping - she felt calmer, wiser, stronger than she did before.

"Life," she breathed in, "is perfect," she concluded, breathing out slowly just once before reaching forward, drawing the curtain aside and opening her eyes in one quick, fluid movement.

The scene before her was grim at best, horrifying at the very worst. Within the tent, the medical ninjas scurried to and fro, looking harried and overworked, trying to treat the most urgent cases while more and more of the wounded poured in. They did not bother with the dead - not yet, at least.

All around her lay the wounded, the dead and the dying and she froze in the entrance, temporarily paralyzed as a wall of sound made up totally of the injured's groans swelled to a crescendo and crashed over her. She found herself drowning in a pool of despair and she didn't even try to fight back - really, what was the point? What could shedo here? What could anyone do to stop this - this madness?

"Sakura!"

Someone called her name - Shizune? - and snapped her out of her horrified reverie. She looked around wildly as her head broke free of the waves, searching for the speaker but there was no one to be seen. She could recognize no one in this chaos and she couldn't help but feel relieved, fearful of who (or what) she might have found.

As she moved forward to join the relief effort, still reeling from her initial impression and fighting back the horror that still threatened to overwhelm her, she thought one thing - who was she kidding? Life was far from perfect.

**A/N: You might think this is out of character. You might be right. Written for the narutochoice weekly challenge. An (unintended) prequel to The Heart Always Brings You Back - Chapter 13.**


	27. Bésame Sin Miedo

**Bésame Sin Miedo**

**Week #19 - creep**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_His eyes swept across her body swiftly, blazing the trail that his fingers would soon follow. His movements, for once, were unsure and unbalanced as he stumbled over himself in his haste to rid of her of the few straps of clothing currently separating them._

_He revelled in the feel of her fngers as they twisted through his hair, enjoying the strange sensations that coursed through him as she freed it of its confines. For once, she led, he followed as his own nimble appendages left her clothes - only for a moment - and travelled up to her tresses where they quickly removed the bands holding them together._

_They made a graceful arc as they fell behind her, save for one set of unruly locks which fell forward, partially obscuring her features. Seeing her like that - so candid and vulnerable, set something off within him and he crushed her to him, pulling her into a kiss which seemed to last for ages._

_Finally she pulled away, brown eyes half-lidded and darkened by their passionate fervour and whispered something soft and appealing, 'Neji...'_

"Neji?" He blinked and looked again into those deep brown eyes, now startlingly clear and watching him with an expression of total confusion. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Tenten inquired, frowning slightly.

Neji frowned and turned away, staring into the trees ahead, silently grateful for the complete control which he had over his features. "Forget it," he responded, his low voice betraying none of the immense embarrassment that he was currently feeling, "it's nothing."

Tenten stared at him for a long moment before finally shrugging it off and turning to watch the trees also, searching for any sign of an unnatural green among them.

"So," she started slowly, "penny for your thoughts?"

**A/N: **I asked my friend for the first word that popped in her head when I said 'creep.' She said 'pervert'. I wrote this for the narutocontest weekly challenge on LJ but I decided not to enter it, then when I got home this afternoon, I saw that quite a few of the entries followed a similar vein so I'm definitely not going to enter it now. I would still like some feedback though so feel free to leave me a comment, even if it's to say that you think it sounds like a cheesy, romance novel or that the idea is totally unoriginal (which apparently it is). The title comes from an RBD song and it means 'Kiss Me Fearlessly'. Thanks for reading!


	28. In The Dark

**In The Dark**

**August 18th - Centuries before I come to where you are**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

He is walking slowly through the rain when he sees her, standing on a bridge and staring out into the waters' murky depths. He slows to a stop, eyes drawn to the small, pale, wet figure, standing there, seemingly oblivious to the rain.

He ponders what to do, wondering if it would be best to walk on - she does seem to be deep in thought - or to walk forward and offer her his umbrella - it does seem like the right thing to do. Besides, as her _taichou_, it wouldn't be right to just leave her there, water cascading through her hair, down to her clothes, soaking her right through. They couldn't afford for their resident medic to get sick after all.

Already decided, he walks up to her and offers her his umbrella, placing it so that it covers her head as well as his.

Several minutes pass before Sakura responds and then all she does is blink owlishly, look up at the umbrella and then glance over at him. "Yamato-taichou?" she says quietly, an unnecessary hint of awe in her voice, "what are you doing here?"

"I was just passing by," he responds, smiling reassuringly at the clearly confused young woman.

She nods slowly, thinking this over for a moment before turning back to the pond and slipping back into her reverie. He wonders absently what could be holding her attention so tightly but he remains silent, unwilling to shatter the friendly silence that has settled between them. He decides to leave her to her musings for now and takes up some of his own instead.

He takes this quiet time - a rarity - to observe her. She is so different from the ninjas he is used to encountering, having spent his last few years solely in ANBU. It is a nice, if not exactly welcome, change, to meet one so young and innocent.

He regards her silently, taking in first the glossy sheen of her hair, then the overwhelming luminosity of her eyes and finally, the deceivingly slim build of her body and he wonders silently if she can survive. Not physically but spiritually - is her spirit strong enough to survive the horrors that await her? Can she keep her hope, her faith alive in a world as cruel as theirs? In a few years time, will her eyes still have that shine or her smiles that sincerity or her heart that purity?

His eyes dim slightly as he looks from her to the water, thinking of all those that he has seen crumble under the weight of their actions and the actions of those around them. In their world, it is so easy to lose yourself to emptiness and despair. Will that happen to her? The corners of his mouth pull down as he imagines this - it is a grim idea.

"Yamato-taichou?" Sakura's voice comes to him as through a fog. "You can put the umbrella down now - it's stopped raining."

One glance forward proves that she is right and smiling sheepishly, he closes the umbrella and lowers it to his side. "I hadn't noticed," he remarks slowly, not looking at her, still staring at the rippling surface of the water.

He doesn't see the small, tight smile on her face as she responds or the way that her gaze lingers on him for a moment longer than necessary. "I realized," she says, looking out at the water, "Thank you for sheltering me, by the way - I'm sorry I didn't say that sooner. I was a bit distracted," she murmurs, a hint of something he can't quite recognize in her voice.

"I noticed," he responds, smiling in good humour as he turns to look at her. There is still a hint of sadness in his eyes though and it doesn't go unnoticed by her. Confusion crosses her features and seeing it, he immediately works to mold his own into a more amiable expression.

"So what were you thinking about so seriously?" he asks, attempting to change the subject.

She looks down, an uncharacteristic flush taking over her face before shaking her head rapidly, "It's nothing - ah, nothing really. I just...let my thoughts get away from me, that's all."

He raises an eyebrow, thinking that her response too is uncharacteristically enigmatic._ 'Is she hiding something?'_ he wonders but doesn't press it further, assuming it is something he doesn't really want to know. He cannot guess how right he is.

Sakura raises her head slightly and meets his eyes before quickly looking away again, the flush on her cheeks growing darker. He frowns at the strangeness of it all and wanting to get things back to normal, he volunteers a suggestion. "How about some ramen? I just passed Ichiraku and I thought I saw Naruto there, eating his way through their supplies as usual. That's always fun to see."

Sakura shakes her head, declining his offer politely, using the (perfectly valid) excuse of having to go home and dry off. He nods understandingly and watches her go, totally unaware of the way that his stare makes her feel, oblivious to the real reason that Sakura declined his treat - she cannot stand being reminded of what she cannot have.

Sighing quietly at women and their strange habits, Yamato continues the way he had initially been headed, still so unaware, still in the dark.

**A/N: I haven't been writing very much lately and I figured maybe what I needed was a challenge to get my creative juices flowing once again. So I thought "Hey! Why don't I try a crack pairing?" And that is how this one-sided Sakura/Yamato story was born. It may be the first of a number of various Sakura pairing fics. Hope you liked it. Drop me a line and let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	29. The Games That Play Us

**The Games That Play Us**

**August 27th - 'slightly out of character'**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Ano, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto?" she responded, caught in the middle of forming a small pile of folders to clear up her cluttered desk.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Another one, I presume?" Folders gathered, Sakura reached down and hoisted the small pile into her arms.

Beside her, Naruto laughed nervously, all the while casting apprehensive looks at her back. "Right - another one."

"Sure. Just make it quick," Sakura replied, heading towards the door.

Naruto panicked then, knowing that there was no way that he could ask her this in the crowded halls of the hospital. So, instead of easing into it like he'd wanted to, he just blurted it out.

"What kind of underwear are you wearing?"

Sakura froze instantly, one hand on the doorknob, the other one still clutching her folders tightly. She remained silent for a long while, teetering between shock and anger. Then she turned back to him, a murderous look in her eyes.

"_What_ did you just say to me?" she asked, dropping her hand from the doorknob and forming a fist.

Seeing her movements and knowing the pain that usually followed them, Naruto fled behind Sakura's desk, hoping to put some sort of barrier between himself and the fuming kunoichi. "Now wait just one second, Sakura-chan - just let me explain," he pleaded, holding his hands up in front of him.

Thirty long seconds passed before she finally agreed, hissing a "fine" through gritted teeth.

Relaxing slightly, Naruto fell back into Sakura's comfortable desk chair and promptly launched into his story, still keeping a watchful eye on her though. "Well the other day, me and Sai were at Ichiraku - "

"Sai and I," Sakura corrected unconsciously.

"Right. Sai and I," Naruto amended quickly. Normally he would just roll his eyes at Sakura's corrections but in this case, he did not want to press his luck. "And we got to talking - "

"About underwear?" she interrupted again.

Naruto shrugged, a sheepish look on his face, "Well, you know how Sai is."

Sakura scoffed, pretty sure that Sai hadn't been the one to initiate _that_ conversation. "Sure, I do. Now continue."

"Right," he said, getting back on track, "so we started talking about how your job tends to dictate the kind of underwear that you wear - so ninjas usually wear practical, simple underwear and waitresses wear stuff with cute, little designs on them in the event that they have to bend over and someone catches a peek of it," (Sakura considered asking how exactly Naruto and Sai were so sure about this but decided against it - that explanation probably would not do anything for her already incensed temper) "Anyway, then we got to doctors and we couldn't agree because I was sure that you all wear simple, practical things too - when you're working at least but Sai insisted that doctors actually wear really fancy stuff under their clothes - he said he read it somewhere - so since we couldn't agree, we decided to ask someone who would know."

"And that person is me?" Sakura uttered tonelessly.

"Well you _are _a doctor - and I didn't want to ask Shizune-neechan or worse, Tsunade-baachan," he concluded, a disgusted expression flitting across his face, "so here I am."

"Okay," Sakura said, "but tell me this - if both you and Sai want to know, why are only you here?"

Naruto shrugged, "Sai thought you'd be more likely to respond if only one of us came."

Sakura rolled her eyes and scoffed quietly, then started gathering chakra into her fist, having heard quite enough. "Well, Sai was wrong," she started to say but paused mid-sentence as an idea came to her.

Suddenly, a wide, accommodating smile spread across her face and she walked forward and set her load back on top of the desk. "All right, Naruto - I'll help you out."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed almost immediately in suspicion. "You will? You're really going to tell me?"

Sakura's smile widened even further as she placed one hand on her hips, "Nope. I'm going to do you one better - I'll show you."

Naruto nearly fell out of his chair as his face went blank with shock. "You - you'll - _what?"_

Chuckling quietly, Sakura moved over to the windows at the side and back of the room and pulled the curtains closed, then stepped back so that she was directly in Naruto's line of sight.

Naruto regarded her slowly, slight distrust in his eyes. "Are you sure about this, Sakura-chan? I mean, this isn't really necessary."

"No, it's all right," she replied, bending over to unzip her boots, "I want to."

"You _want_ to? She wants to," Naruto echoed faintly. Then he slumbed back in the chair and silently followed her movements as she stepped out of the boots and began to pull off her top.

He had just gotten a peek of her lacy, white bra when he jumped up and put a stop to the madness. "Stop it, Sakura-chan! This isn't how I wanted this to happen!"

"You _wanted_ this to happen?" Sakura echoed, pulling her top back down and staring dumbfoundedly at Naruto.

"Just forget it," Naruto muttered, darting out from behind the desk and over to the door. "Forget what I asked you - I'll see you later, Sakura-chan," he called out, wrenching the door open and practically running out.

Sakura watched him go, an expression of wonderment on her face, then dropped her hands to her side, walked over to her desk chair and dropped into it, letting out a long, quiet sigh. "Well," she murmured, "_that_ didn't turn out the way I expected it to."

**A/N: **Silly little idea, I know. I was watching a commercial for Grey's Anatomy and marvelling at the elaborate lingerie that the doctors wear on duty when I got the idea. It's supposed to be funny so I hope you laughed. Thanks for reading.


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